Just 10 minutes into his new-found status as a daddy Tuesday, Peja Stojakovic was feeling the love for his son, Andrej, he no longer has for the Kings."It was the best experience of my life," Stojakovic said from Salonika, Greece. "I can see already how everything means nothing once you have a child.

Kings owner Joe Maloof said he was excited to learn that Stojakovic and his fianc&eacute;e, Aleka Kamila, had their baby.

But on the subject of meeting Stojakovic's trade demand, Maloof said there was no change.

"We have no intentions of trading Peja," Maloof said Tuesday. "I just don't see us without Peja Stojakovic."

Stojakovic and his agent, David Bauman, say they haven't backed off their demand and would prefer it to be sooner than later.

Initially, though, Bauman hopes his client receives at least a telephone call from the Kings' ownership.

"They haven't talked with Peja, and I don't understand that," Bauman said Monday. "Peja called and left the number. He's getting really upset about that. I guess if he was (Tracy) McGrady or (Stephon) Marbury or (Chris) Webber, they would have called."

The Washington, D.C.-area based agent said he read in the Washington Post on Sunday about Gavin Maloof discussing hotel heiress Nicky Hilton and her stay at the family's Palms Hotel in Las Vegas.

"I guess they have more interest in things like that than talking to the star of their team," Bauman said.

Said Stojakovic: "I have been waiting for (the Maloofs) to call me back, but they haven't called. I don't know, I guess they are not taking me seriously.

"But I have not changed the way I've felt (about the trade) since the last time I talked to you."

Joe Maloof said Bauman's comment about his brother and Hilton did not deserve a response.

"I will say that, remember, Peja is under contract," Maloof said. "Gavin and I will talk to Peja when we think it's the right time. The guy is getting ready to have a baby. ... "

Maloof then was informed about Andrej's arrival.

"Well, that's the best news of the day," Maloof said.

"I know he was ticked off when he talked to Geoff (Petrie, the Kings' president of basketball operations), but sometimes it's better to let things calm down and people cool off.

"We're going to talk to him in the near future."

Bauman said the Maloofs will not know Stojakovic's true feelings until they talk to him.

"I keep reading that this is going to blow over," the agent said, "but until they talk to Peja, they are not going to know the real deal.

"I mean, we're talking about the owners of a team, hands-on owners, who haven't talked to their three-time All-Star. They don't want to trade him, but to really understand what is upsetting Peja, they need to talk to him."

Meanwhile, Stojakovic's outlook already has been adjusted.

"Eventually, Andrej was born through (Caesarean) section," the new father said. "But mentally I'm exhausted, so you know how (Aleka) is feeling."

V2M

08-19-2004, 04:47 AM

That's pretty sad to see how the MVP Candidate is getting treated by the Kings. I hope this is the beginning of the end to their reign as an elite team in the West.

EricaLubarsky

08-19-2004, 10:30 AM

I don't think the Kings will make the playoffs and I don't think Adelman will be back.

Simon2

08-19-2004, 11:10 AM

Kings should be calling around to trade Webber.

jayC

08-19-2004, 01:52 PM

Dirk isn't crying to be traded because his best pal was traded. There is something to be said that he disappears in the playoffs. He wasn't the reason the kings got passed Dallas. Cwebb, Bibby and Christie were the reason that they got passed Dallas.

Peja doesn't create his own shot and may be a product of the princeton offense. I think things will cool down and if not where will he go that is a better situation then in Sacramento. He won't go to a western conference team, will he be better off in Chicago, or Indiana.

The Kings still have Bibby, Jackson, Christie, Miller and Webber without Peja they will be a top five seed.

Originally posted by: jayC
Dirk isn't crying to be traded because his best pal was traded. There is something to be said that he disappears in the playoffs. He wasn't the reason the kings got passed Dallas. Cwebb, Bibby and Christie were the reason that they got passed Dallas.

Peja doesn't create his own shot and may be a product of the princeton offense. I think things will cool down and if not where will he go that is a better situation then in Sacramento. He won't go to a western conference team, will he be better off in Chicago, or Indiana.

The Kings still have Bibby, Jackson, Christie, Miller and Webber without Peja they will be a top five seed.

Of that lineup, two guys have injuries every year, (Webber and Jackson), and the other three certainly dont scare me!!!

In fact, only Bibby is a player I would want replacing one of our starters on the Mavs, (that is the Peja-less lineup you listed)!

DNNF

08-19-2004, 02:42 PM

Crying baby !!! Suck it up and play. You still undercontract.

cheesestar

08-19-2004, 03:05 PM

if i was being paid millions of dollars to play in the nba i wouldnt complain but that's (kind of) besides the point
i think jayc has a good point of dirk not crying but i dont think the kings can be a top five team with out peja

mcsluggo

08-19-2004, 03:17 PM

well, its not as if they aren't going to get anything for Peja. He is a DAMN valuable trade commodity. He finished 3rd in the MVP balloting last year.

So the question really is:

With the line-up lifted above AND
Artest or AK47 or Pierce or &lt;insert good player here&gt;
Are the kings any good?

DubOverdose

08-19-2004, 09:13 PM

AK47, Pierce&gt;&gt;&gt;Peja

Peja is a great shooter, but if I was building a team and the MVP of my team was one of the three players above, it would be AK47, then Pierce, and my last choice would be Peja. I see the Artest for Peja trade as most likely.

Mavs4skin

08-19-2004, 09:14 PM

I think the Kings could be good with a guy like Artest, but like it was said he is too valuable to trade for anybody with a similar contract. His worth far exceeds his crappy contract.

mavsman55

08-19-2004, 10:48 PM

Let's hope Doug Christie hasn't rubbed off on him... I don't want him to start bringing his fiance to every game and partaking in satanic rituals with her every time he scores a point.

fin4life

08-19-2004, 10:50 PM

Originally posted by: mavsman55
Let's hope Doug Christie hasn't rubbed off on him... I don't want him to start bringing his fiance to every game and partaking in satanic rituals with her every time he scores a point.

It isnt doug christie who would be rubbing off on him... it is Jackie Christie rubbing off on his fiance, making him her bitch

mcsluggo

08-20-2004, 10:04 AM

Originally posted by: DubOverdose
AK47, Pierce&gt;&gt;&gt;Peja

Peja is a great shooter, but if I was building a team and the MVP of my team was one of the three players above, it would be AK47, then Pierce, and my last choice would be Peja. I see the Artest for Peja trade as most likely.

I'd agree that AK47 is the class of this group.

I'm less sure of pierce, though. He's shown the ability to be the best player an a semi-mediocre team. He hasn't shown the ability to be a cog in a well oiled dominant machine though, which is what the Kings (or the Mavs) would need. In those world championships 2 years ago, he was the most agregious offender of the "not able to play well with the other stars" croud".

AK, Artest and Peja have all shown the ability to blend in and play within the confines of their team-mates, making them all better. Pierce definately has not.

(on the other hand, he is fairly clutch. Peja has yet to show any idication of that)

Overall I'd rank them

1. AK
2. Peja and Artest
3. Pierce

as champ puzzle pieces

jayC

08-20-2004, 11:16 AM

1) Artest- the guy can play guards all the way up to powerforwards. I love his game, hate his attitude.

StvNash13

08-20-2004, 02:44 PM

Artest is dead as a player to me after what happened in the Detroit series. He didn't prove himself to be a man or a real competitor. Breaking down like that is not a sign of a champion, or an athlete for that matter.

dmavsfan

08-21-2004, 11:14 AM

Jay C ,

The Kings didn't beat us. Nelson did. Hard to beat a team in the NBA when you REFUSE to play your centers!

FilthyFinMavs

08-21-2004, 01:22 PM

Imagine if the Kings worked out a deal to get Ron Artest in there? Christie at the 2 and Artest at the 3? I wonder would the Celtics do a Peja for Pierce swap. I'd love to see Peja in the east coast but I wouldn't want to see Pierce in the West alongside Webb and Bibby. I would however put money that a Kings team with Pierce would implode before March.

V2M

08-21-2004, 04:07 PM

Originally posted by: FilthyFinMavs
Imagine if the Kings worked out a deal to get Ron Artest in there? Christie at the 2 and Artest at the 3? I wonder would the Celtics do a Peja for Pierce swap. I'd love to see Peja in the east coast but I wouldn't want to see Pierce in the West alongside Webb and Bibby. I would however put money that a Kings team with Pierce would implode before March.

If Peja gets traded, which I seriously doubt, the only deal that makes any sense is "Peja for Artest". It's like the offensive player of the year for the defensive player of the year. Salaries match well which obviates the need to include additional players. Both teams are winners in the opposite conferences. Kings could use some defense while Pacers could use some offense. Perfect for both teams!! Only potential problem is Artest's attitude which might scare the Kings away.